Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Trading 5.6% Higher – Time to Buy?

Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA) shares were up 5.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $538.03 and last traded at $531.40. Approximately 49,652 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 87% from the average daily volume of 372,298 shares. The stock had previously closed at $503.01.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on SAIA. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Saia from $492.00 to $563.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Saia from $456.00 to $478.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Saia from $566.00 to $558.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Saia from $561.00 to $544.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Raymond James lowered their price target on shares of Saia from $560.00 to $540.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $535.41.

Saia Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $493.78 and a 200 day moving average of $461.92. The company has a market capitalization of $13.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 7th. The transportation company reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by ($0.03). Saia had a return on equity of 18.00% and a net margin of 11.83%. The firm had revenue of $789.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $794.69 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.33 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Saia, Inc. will post 13.47 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Rohit Lal sold 1,120 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $560.00, for a total value of $627,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 8,270 shares in the company, valued at $4,631,200. This trade represents a 11.93 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saia

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Saia in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Paladin Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Saia in the third quarter worth $40,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in Saia by 47.8% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 201 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $92,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Tobam purchased a new position in Saia during the third quarter valued at approximately $100,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Saia by 319.1% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 285 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $135,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the period.

About Saia

Saia, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a transportation company in North America. The company provides less-than-truckload services for shipments between 100 and 10,000 pounds; and other value-added services, including non-asset truckload, expedited, and logistics services. It also offers other value-added services, including non-asset truckload, expedited, and logistics services.